1887 - A baseball reporters association is organized. It pledges to work to standardize scoring practices, especially in the gray area of stolen bases.

1900 - The National League considers going back to 12 teams to counter American League moves into some cities. Club owners invite Ban Johnson to come to the NL meeting, but change their mind about compromise and leave the AL head outside the meeting room. The NL awards the AL's Minnesota and Kansas City territories to the new Western League, even before the AL officially abandons them. The NL agrees to hear the players in a public meeting, but rejects all their demands.

1911 - A rift between the leagues develops over widespread charges of ticket speculation during the World Series, and accusations that officials of the Giants and A's were involved. The American League passes a resolution refusing to participate in another World Series until it has control of ticket sales in its own parks. The National Commission investigates the charge that speculators were given large blocks of tickets, but takes no action and releases no findings. The following spring, the Commission finds that much scalping occurred, but there is no evidence either team was involved, and peace is declared.

1930 - The Rules Committee of baseball issues a greatly revised code, reducing the number of rules by combining many. Not only is the sacrifice rule abolished but also the rule awarding a home runs when the ball bounces into the stands. "Bounce homers" will now be doubles. This had already been in effect in the American League but not the National League.

1949 - By a 7-1 vote, the American League rejects a proposal to bring back the legal spitball. The rules committee also alters the strike zone to the space between the armpits and the top of the knees. The new rule eliminates the batter's shoulders being within the strike zone.

1950 - The owners vote to drop the bonus and high school rule which was designed to prevent the wealthier clubs from buying up all of the available talent. The rule required that all "bonus players" had to stay on the major league roster after one season in the minors.

1952 - Peter J. McGovern becomes president of the Little League, succeeding Charles Durban, who resigns because of ill health. The Little League began in 1939 with eight teams in two leagues and has grown to over 1,800 leagues in 44 states and several foreign countries.

1954 - Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente lead the North to victory in the Puerto Rican Winter League's annual all-star fund-raiser. The Sporting News correspondent Pita Alvarez De La Vega gives the exuberant young duo's exploits some national exposure: "The league took a break from its pennant battle to stage the annual 'Three Kings' all-star game at Mayaguez. All proceeds went into a YMCA fund to buy gifts for the island's poor children in keeping with the old Latin tradition of the Three Kings bringing gifts on January 6... The All-Star North team, made up of players from the Santurce and Mayaguez clubs, won the game, 7 to 5. Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente hit home runs for the winners."

In a deal which upsets many other owners, pitcher Kevin Brown (18-7, 2.38) becomes baseball's first 100+ million dollar man as the right-hander signs a seven-year deal with the Dodgers for an average yearly salary of 15 million dollars.

After being given his last rites, Joe DiMaggio makes a miraculous recovery defying the doctors' dire predictions. He will live another four months.